Category Archives: Idea Sparklers

Last Thursday I went out for burgers with some of the fabulous RT South Office team. We tried a new burger joint called Shady’s. And the burger I got was definitely shady – beef, chorizo, grilled jalapeños, and cheddar cheese. I knew as I took my first bite, bad things were going to happen.

After nearly throwing up on the car ride back to the offices, I had to down some coffee. I was sleepy. I approached the Keurig carousel which houses all our coffee varieties. I could have reached for my beautiful Caribou blend which I always enjoy, but I had to try that one K-cup that nobody had tried. What if it was the best thing in the world?

It wasn’t. Yucky taste, dehydration, indigestion, and a headache. That’s how I ended my day. Stick with me, this is going somewhere. (more…)

I had the privilege of being a pastor’s kid for multiple years of my life. I say privilege because I truly had a great experience. I know that isn’t the case for many PK’s. But it was phenomenal to see my dad navigating the waters of pastordom – organizational strategy, betrayals, criticisms, moral and ethical dilemma’s, and effective communication.

Adding to that privilege, I worked with my brother for a couple years alongside my dad. There’s something so special about family members working toward the same goal. When there’s mutual respect, vision and strategy come naturally.

That’s a long setup for a short story. Here’s where it gets good. (more…)

I’ve been learning something about meeting people’s needs. I’ve found you can’t hope to meet someone’s needs unless you meet their perceived needs. And their perceived needs usually don’t match up with their real needs. Let me illustrate.

Creative folks who work in churches have real and perceived needs. Their real needs are this: to know they aren’t alone and to connect with other creatives. But their perceived need is: to get ideas they can use.

I began a blog a few years back to help creatives connect. I knew this would solve the problems all church workers deal with. Unfortunately, it never took off. Nobody went to the site. (more…)

There are two parts to this crazy thing called love. Inspiration and action. Most of us are great at the first part. Unfortunately, many of us fall short in the second part.

Inspiration is all about that thought. That spark. That feeling. When we think about our wife during the day and wonder how she’s doing. When we get a little pitter patter in our hearts thinking how beautiful she is. That’s the inspiration. That’s a very good thing.

But the action… I’m bad at following through on that inspiration. I neglect to text or call. I neglect to buy her a little gift at the store. I neglect to buy her flowers.

I’m working on getting better at this action part. Because, to make this thing called love, it requires both the inspiration and the action. What good does it do my wife that I think about her often if I don’t let her know with the action? (more…)

A frail lady pulled out a mason jar from her shelf. Her eyes teared up as she remembered its story…

Young Emma woke up one morning. She looked out her window to see her world on fire. Violent reds and oranges screamed through her window. She gasped and ran for the door. Young Emma was five years old but fiercely independent. She threw on her house slippers and bolted out the front door. She had to experience what she say without the safety of shelter. (more…)

Do you know one of those dreamers? They’re always buzzing with new ideas. They have three movies scripts in their head. They have ten book ideas. They come up with life-changing inventions almost weekly. They’re the dreamers. Head in the clouds.

But you’ll notice, they rarely become successful. A great idea isn’t the only key to success.

Success requires three keys to be unlocked: The idea. The opportunity. The work. (more…)

Everyone has a dream. Imagine if everyone actually made theirs come true. The world would be filled with astronauts, presidents, artists, and billionaire tycoons. Who would do the everyday tasks that make the world work?

Obviously it’s impossible for everyone in the world to follow their dreams. But the beauty of that fact is that it keeps people from even trying. In fact, I can be sure that enough people aren’t following their dreams that I can follow mine. (more…)

Jonathan is a creative entrepreneur and writer. He is the author of Created for More, a 30-day devotional to help you develop a more creative mind. You'll find him in San Antonio, Texas roasting his own coffee beans enjoying life with his Argentine wife, Carolina.